A Christmas Budget Guide

Christmas is a season for fun and enjoyment, or at least it is supposed to be. For a lot of people including parents, it means spending more money than they actually have..

Check out my list of five tips to help you enjoy Christmas for less.

Consider how much money you have to spend, and then stick to your budget!

One of the worst ways to welcome the new year is with a hangover and a bank statement for all your overdue credit card bills.. Many people will quite happily spend a lot of money on Christmas shopping on their credit cards without thinking of the true cost. It is advisable to work out a budget of the things you will be spending money on over Christmas, and not over spending. Christmas should not be about how much you spend, especially on your kids.

The thought counts

As touched upon above, the act of buying a Christmas gift is a lovely thing to do, but it should not be the ‘be all and end all’ of your family Christmas. Lots of children are really happy to receive smaller gifts, rather than lavishly over priced big gifts.. Don’t be goaded into buying expensive items by children either, as this will cause more headaches in the long run.

Buy your kids a lasting gift

It is annoying when a present you buy for your children breaks after a short period of time. Many people suffer from this happening on a regular basis, especially with expensive toys that are the in thing. Alternative options such as wooden toys or good quality clothing items could cost a little bit more, but will last a lot longer.

Food shopping on a budget

Having a massive turkey dinner is the old clich© at Christmas, but it is not necessary unless you have the mouths to feed. Lots of families spend an amazing amount of money on food at Christmas, and a lot of it ends up as waste which is an extraordinary waste of money. Make sure you only buy what you will eat, and what you will need. Too many people will panic buy in order to have options over Christmas but a lot of this is going to end up as waste.. Doing a bit of shopping online will help you to compare market prices without the fuel costs, and you could end up saving a lot of money.

Ditch the consoles

Whilst games consoles are a great thing to have, they are a cheap substitute for the family value of a board game or parlour game.. Not buying the latest release in video games could save you money. Parlour games are free, and most people have a wide selection of board games to ensure a social family Christmas!

November 26, 2011 | Filed Under Social Campaigns 

Comments

Leave a Reply